Spiral after-effect- apparatus



April 4, 1962 T. H. BLAU ET AL 3,030,944

SPIRAL AFTER-EFFECT APPARATUS Filed Aug. 28, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Theodore h. B/au Robert E. Schaffer 1N VEN TORS BY gym? MA,

April 24; 1962 T. H. BLAU ET AL SPIRAL AFTER-EFFECT APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 28, 1958 Theodore H. B/au Robert E. Schaffer 1N VEN TORS a fIlIlilill T. H. BLAU ET AL SPIRAL AFTER-EFFECT APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 28, 1958 Theodore H. B/au Robert E. .Schaffer INVENTORS @6131.

get four further eifects. spiral gives a negative after-effect of expansion. while the counterclockwise rotation offers positive after-efiect of contraction. Though the basic principles noted above .are well .known to psychologists, no Satisfactory device has been developed for operating theArchimedes spiral United States invention relates generally to a psychological dito diagnose organic brain of the spiral afteneffect.

Very recently novel means weresuggested for diagnosng organic brain damage by some. noted. psychologists.

gnostic device apdmore particularly to a device utilized damag throu h. t nit/ans Iheysuggestcd the diagnosis utilize the spiral after-'eifeot. The method primarily involves the utilization .of an Archimedes spiral on a disc having approximately a six inch, diameter. approximately two and onejhalf turns about the center ,of awheel. The theory oftheutiliza-tion of this device An Archimedes spiral describes 920 or indicates thatwhen this spiral, was rotated at approximately 80revolutionsper'minute, a patient would identify 'the spiral as going in towardflthe center. of approximately 30 seconds, the rotation would stop, and if the patient was able to see an after-effect or .At the end after-image, the absence of brain damage was'indicated.

. Further, it was found that a more accurate diagnosis could be made if the patient was subjected to, a' plurality of setsof rotations and particularly sets .in different directions. That is, best results are obtained if the Archimedes spiral is initiallyrotatcd clockwise four times'to get four 'efiects and then rotated counterclockwise four times to A clockwise rotation of the conveniently in both directions at a proper speed. In

mostcrude -models, unidirectional motors werejutilized and two; distincttype wheels were employed for giving clockwise and counterclockwise eifec-t. The necessity of .constantly changing the Wheels after each rotational set require's thc consummation of at least ten minutes for each administrationof the test. In addition/to thc difficulty of changingthewheels, the patient was well aware that hecould expect. a change in thcdirection ofthe wheel, thus subjecting the test to some invalidity in that the patient knew something about what was going to happen. Accordingly, a novel spiral after-efi ect device has been developed which overcomes thesc disadvantages and eliminates the undesirable invalidity from the tests.

It is. therefore the principal object. -of this invention to provide a novel spiial af-tcr elfect device whichimay xbeefficiently employed "utiliiin'g'only one wheel and having a reversible clectricalrnotor for driving the Archimedes spiral.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a novel spiral after-effect device which is relatively simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and'easy to operate and repair.

It is more particularly an object of this invention to provide a novel spinal after-effect device which adds validity to the spiral after-effect diagnosis in that the device employs a single wheel for giving both the positive and negative after-effect or after-image without an inconvenient time delay.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a novel spiral after-effect device which is small, portable, and easily utilized to present the material for the spiral after-effect test.

In accordance with the above stated objects below atent ing clips; and

3,@3h,94i aie jed A r- 2 1952 I 2 is particularly described the structure and utilization of the novel spiral after-efiectdevi'cecmprisihgthis invention. The device comprises ahous'ing carrying a teries ,are carried in the housing by aluminum clips and either battery circuit (one, being an auxiliary circuit) may be selectively electrically connected to the; electric motorfor driving the Archimedes spiral. However, the

batteries are connectedto the electric motor through a double pole, double throw switch wherebythe polarity applied to the motor (either the field or the armature but not both) may be changed for reversingtherotational direction of the motor. The housing, electric motor,

electric source, and Archimedes spiralform a compact device which is easily portable.

s will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operationfas more fully hereinafter I described and claimed, reference being had tothe accomfI hese together with other objects and advantages which panying drawings, forming apart hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View of, the housing and Archimedes spiral attached thereto;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the spiral andhousing;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical, longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along the'plane 33 of FIGURE'Z;

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the plane 4-4 of FIGURE 3; I

FIGURE 5 is a vertical, transverse sectional vi ew taken substantially along the plane 55 of FIGURE};

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged sectional'vi ew of the battery holding clips; j

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of the batteryhold- FIGURE 8 is a schematic diagram of theelectrical circuit utilized in this invention.

With continuing reference to the drawings the numeral 19, generally represents the housing containing the elements comprising the working uni-t having preferably short depending rubber legs '12 removable panel sides 14 as by screws 16. Exposed exteriorly o fth'e housing is a first switch 18 for electrically connecting the auxiliary oir nain source to the motor through a double pole,

motor shaft 23.

The housing 10 is preferably arectangular solid and may beconstructed of any material However, design considerations must include electrical circuit characteristics and rigidity and strength features. A direct cur rent reversible electrical motor 24 is supported from the top surface 26 of the housing It) by screws 23 and 30 and cooperating nuts 32 and 34. Preferably, insulating washers 36 and 33 are utilized between the motor 24 and the housing 10. r A hearing il is carried inau aperture 42 in the housing side wall 44 and passes therethrough the motor shaft 23.

Electrically connected to the motor 24 are a pair of electrical leads 46 and 43 which are electrically connectcd to the movable arm 21 of the double pole, double throw toggle switch 20.

Battery holding clips 59 are mechanically connected but electrically insulated from each other by insulating members 52. The clips are constructed of resilient aluminum and are substantially semi-cylindrical. As is 3 indicated in FIGURE 7 a plurality of clips as 50, 51, 53 and 54 may be connected mechanically together by the electrical insulating members 52. Each of the semicylindrical clips has projections as 56 and 58 extending lengthwise of the semi-cylinder. The projection 56 includes a right angular portion 57 and an electrical terminal portion 59. The projection 58 has afiixed thereto an insulator block 66 which in turn has fixed thereto a right angular member 62 having an electrical terminal 64. It will be apparent that small batteries as pen light batteries, may be held between the right angular members 57 and 62 with the potential of battery being impressed across the terminals 59 and 64. Further, apertures 66 and 68 are placed in the semi-cylindrical battery holders 50 and 54 for receiving screws 70 and '72 and cooperating nuts 74 and 76 for holding the battery holders adjacent the housing 10. Of course, it is preferable to utilize insulative washers 78 and 80 between the housing and the aluminum holders 66 and 68.

Now particularly referring to FIGURE 5, it is noted that two sets of battery holders 82 and 84 are affixed within the housing 10 on opposed Walls. One of these sets constitutes the main electrical source for the electric motor 24 while the second set is utilized as an auxiliary source in case of failure of the first source so as not to invalidate or delay an after-effect test. Each of the battery sets 82, 84 includes four batteries. A preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGURE 8, shows each of the sets 82 and 84 as including two parallel lines, each line consisting of two serially connected one and one-half volt pen-light batteries. Of course, the electric motor 24 is operable from a three volt source. The batteries, each set, are connected to stationary contacts 86 of the double pole, double throw switch 18. It should be apparent from FIGURE 8, that by the actuation of the movable arm 83 of switch 18, either set of batteries 82 or 84 may be electrically connected to the fixed contacts 23 of switch 29 for actuation of the electrical motor 24. It should be apparent from FIGURE 8 that the switch 18 is utilized only to select the set of batteries 82 or 84 for driving the motor 24 and the switch is utilized for selecting the desired polarity to be impressed upon either the field or armature circuit of the reversible direct cur-rent motor 24 for driving the motor in a selected direction.

The Archimedes spiral 22 is most advantageously a six or seven inch lightly colored cardboard wheel 9% having a black spiral 92 printed thereon. The center of the spiral 92 is coincident with the motor shaft 23 with the Archimedes spiral 22 being held on the shaft by an acorn nut 94 which is threadedly engaged with a threaded shaft end 95. The acorn nut 94 falls in the center of the spiral 92. As may be clearly noted in FIGURE 2, the Archimedes spiral 92 extends 920 about the center.

To electrically connect the pen-light batteries 96 in the manner prescribed in the schematic diagram of FIG- URE 8, short electrical leads 98 are soldered to the terminals 59 and 64 of the aluminum battery holders.

Also, the terminals 59 and 64 are utilized to electrically connect the electrical power circuit to the double pole, double throw switches 18 and 20.

It is thought that the above explanation adequately recites the specific structural and electrical features of this invention, clearly indicating the validity of the apparatus to one skilled in the art.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A brain damage diagnosing device comprising a housing, a reversible direct current electric motor carried within said housing, a plurality of battery clips supported in said housing, a plurality of batteries carried in said clips, said plurality of batteries electrically connected to form two distinct circuits of opposite polarity, a double pole, double throw switch, said circuits being connected to said switch for alternative energization, said switch connected to said motor whereby said motor may be selectively driven in either direction by said circuits, a shaft on said motor, a spiral member fixedly secured upon said shaft and having a center coincident with said shaft carried thereby, said spiral member extending about its center.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said spiral member extends about 920 about its center.

3. A brain damage diagnosing device comprising a housing, a reversible direct current electric motor carried within said housing, direct current electric power means carried exteriorly Within said housing, switch means electrically connected to said power means and said motor for energizing said motor in a selected direction, and a spiral member carried externally of said housing and driven by and directly connected to said motor, said motor having a shaft, said spiral member fixedly secured upon said shaft and having a center coincident with said shaft and extending about said center, two sets of dry cell batteries in said housing, circuit means alternatively connecting each set of batteries to said motor for actuating the latter.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said circuit means includes a selector switch for selectively connecting one set of said batteries to said motor and a reversing switch interposed between said selector switch and said motor for controlling the direction of rotation of the latter.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,380,508 Eaves July 31, 1945 2,566,124 Eaves Aug. 28, 1951 2,848,992 Pigeon Aug. 26, 1958 

